Exodus follows coup at TBWA

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Despite an exodus of up to half his workforce this year, the new Sydney boss of one of the world's in-form advertising networks, TBWA, yesterday denied his company was in free-fall.

Martin Quinn, managing director at Whybin TBWA and former global brand director for Coca-Cola in Atlanta, rejected suggestions that senior management plans to purge the old guard loyal to former Sydney chairman Neil Lawrence had backfired.

The agency has St George Bank, AAPT and Sony Playstation as flagship clients. At least 35 people have left Whybin TBWA's offices in Sydney this year after Lawrence was ousted by Australian chairman Scott Whybin in what had been a five-year power struggle between the two.

"If you have a big shakeout and get rid of the old guard, it's very emotional," said one insider. "There's no doubt there's a lot of re-engineering going on."

Another said the company needed to be careful about changing too quickly for clients. "When [Mr Whybin and international management] bought out Neil Lawrence they set about remaking the place in their own manner ... It's a purge of the old school. Sydney looked good from the outside but it possibly wasn't very profitable. TBWA's worldwide people are very good business people."

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Mr Whybin was on holiday and unavailable for comment, as was chief executive Des Speakman, but Mr Quinn said the changes were "very much a planned situation".

He said while there had been high staff churn this year, total staff numbers were only "a few less" than they were before his arrival three months ago.

"We're somewhere around 75 people," he said. "Some people will leave because they don't like change. Some applaud change, others don't. We want to make Melbourne and Sydney one agency, two offices, so we can use the resources across both, whether that be creative, planning or some account people. Scott is leading the charge for both agencies to be fully integrated.

"You can't just survive being an ad agency, you've got to look at communications."

Whybin TBWA, however, is known to be facing the prospect of several lawsuits from former staff over issues including the way contracts have been terminated.

Mr Quinn said the restructure would continue: "We're trying to get the best people as opposed to mediocre. The better people you have on board and the better they are in their craft, the better reputation there will be for the agency and the work for clients."